Where is the Best-Dressed City in the World?

For the first time in some time, Milan Fashion Week managed to paint the city in an electric mix of faces, ideas and clothes that made a strong argument: The city might very well be the best-dressed place in the world.

On the runways, several new designers brought fresh life to houses like Gucci, Jil Sander and Bottega Veneta, three labels on a lot of lips at fashion week. Other shows felt like bittersweet endings. Sunnei’s two founding designers surprised many guests by ending its show with the announcement that they were stepping down 11 years after starting the brand. And Armani, weeks after the death of its eponymous founder, showed the final collection he had made to a black-tie-clad crowd that included Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere, Spike Lee and more of Hollywood’s elite.

Giorgio Armani’s legacy was also alive in the streets, where the recurrence of smart-looking trousers seemed to nod to his influence. It was hard to turn a corner without encountering stylish people sporting autumnal layers, pointy shoes, wide-lapel coats or double-breasted jackets.